Étude, aimant
by katieerin90
Summary: Learning, loving. - Hermione's educational trip abroad turns into something a bit different. She thinks she is learning how to woo Ginny, but she's actually falling in love. When will she realize her French infatuation is much, much more? Femslash. Enjoy!


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**Disclaimer:** I, obviously, do not own the world of Harry Potter.

**Warning**: Intense sexual content and femslash.

_Enjoy, everyone! All constructive criticsm and compliments are (of course) highly anticipated. :) -katieerin90_

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**Chapitre Un**

So what if Hermione had kissed Ron? Hogwarts was being attacked by Death Eaters, so everyone had been kissing everyone before the fight. It was a move that she sincerely regretted, now that it was all over.

Three months after Voldemort's downfall, Hermione was celebrating her eighteenth birthday with Ron, Harry, and Ginny in a muggle café. Ron kept trying to hold her hand, only to receive annoyed looks from her. How long was it going to take him to understand?

"Um… Hermione?" Harry asked, a few moments after he had placed his arm gently around Ginny.

Blinking, the brunette came out of a reverie. "What?"

"You… were looking at me in quite a… loathing way," he replied a bit hesitantly. Hermione had been acting strange for awhile, and it was quite beyond him to want to incur her wrath.

Chewing, Ron tried to grab Hermione's hand again under the table, as oblivious to her as possible when sitting right next to her. "Come on, 'mione, order the raspberry tart," he said, bits of pastry falling out of his mouth.

Sighing, she once again shoved his hand away. "No, Ron, and stop trying to hold my bloody hand." Disgusting git. "Sorry, Harry," she said as apologetically as she could muster. It wasn't his fault that Ginny liked him and not her. If only there was some way she could let them all know how she felt about… things. She was just afraid that Harry and Ginny would see her differently.

No, now was not the time. She needed to go on trying to act normal and happy, especially since it was her birthday. Now… what would normal Hermione do? She fiddled with her spoon, eyeing herself in the rounded reflection. She looked so lack-luster, much unlike herself. She feared that keeping this secret much longer was going to permanently change her into a boring, lifeless shadow. She had to tell someone, and that someone would be Harry. Tonight, she decided. She would just leave out the part about Ginny.

"Hey, Harry," she said as nonchalantly as possible. "Tonight can you help me, er, sort out some things for my trip to France?"

Ron and Ginny shot her suspicious looks. Hermione felt a laugh rising up in her, but suppressed it. Oh how wrong their assumptions were. Ah well, they would understand soon.

"Sure, Hermione," he replied as she knew he would.

Smiling for the first time that evening, Hermione took a bite of her birthday cupcake.

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It was 8:59 PM, one minute before Harry was going to apparate into her apartment. She was pacing around her couch, biting her nails and talking to herself.

"I will not chicken out. I will not chicken out," she repeated over and over, until a pop made her jump. "Harry," she said relieved.

Harry fixed his glasses from their post-apparition angle and looked around, finding her luggage already neatly packed and labeled, ready for her trip abroad. He began to point out that she had wanted his help packing, but she cut him off.

"Harry, we're best friends. I've been hiding something and it's killing me not telling anyone and I thought you would understand and-"

"Woah, 'mione." Harry looked at her worried face. "Slow down. Breathe. What've you been hiding?" He asked with curiosity, wondering if he was about to find out her changed mood lately.

Sitting down on the couch, she closed her eyes and spoke as evenly as she could. "Harry… I don't like Ron," she began.

"Well, yeah. He's the only one that doesn't get that," Harry interrupted.

Opening her eyes and looking at her fireplace, she shook her head. "No, I mean, I… don't like boys?" Damn, that wasn't supposed to sound like a question. "Yeah. I don't like boys." She peeked at her best friend's face.

It took a moment for him to fully understand. He couldn't help it—his jaw dropped a bit once he fully realized what she meant. Hermione sighed when she saw his astonishment and slumped into the couch.

"Now do you see?" She asked, defeated. "Girls, Harry. I like girls."

Harry shook his head and went over to sit by her. "Yeah… yeah, Hermione! Everything makes more sense now. But why did you hide it?" He asked, tilting his head and looking at her.

Hermione looked up him, a smile creeping onto her face. "You mean… you don't think it's disgusting?" She asked, blinking.

"Disgus- What? No!" He answered. "I'm a bit shocked, but Hermione, you're my best friend and I want you to be happy." He took her hand. "Really."

She felt the tears welling up in her brown eyes at his heart-felt words. "Oh Harry, I knew I should've told you sooner!" She pulled him into a hug and wiped away her tears.

Harry accepted her hug and patted her on the back. "Listen, I have to go make sure Ginny gets back to Hogsmeade alright so she can sneak back into the castle. You'll… be alright?" He asked, making sure there weren't any more tears on the way.

Hermione was in a state of elation. "Yes! Yes, of course. Um… Harry?" She bit her lip. "Don't tell Ginny, okay? I don't know if I'm ready for anyone else to know yet." What _was_ she ready for? Her six-month trip abroad to France, of course. Who knew… maybe she would find a lovely woman to distract her thoughts of flowing red hair…

"No problem, 'mione. And, hey… don't forget to owl me as soon as you're moved into your France apartment, okay?" Harry stood up.

"Of course," she replied. "Thanks for listening and not… judging," she said with a teary smile. "Bye."

"Bye, Hermione." A second pop occurred, and Harry disapparated.

The curly-haired girl did a little dance to her bed and jumped into it. She fell asleep within minutes, head full of dreams flashing long red hair and French desserts.

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_Not long, but it seemed like a good place to stop, no? Chapitre Deux will be added soon!_


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